Cities begin to challenge a bedrock of justice: They’re paying criminals not to kill

[sarisataka]

Cities begin to challenge a bedrock of justice: They’re paying criminals not to kill

RICHMOND, Calif. — The odds were good that Lonnie Holmes, 21, would be the next person to kill or be killed in this working-class suburb north of San Francisco.

Four of his cousins had died in shootings. He was a passenger in a car involved in a drive-by shooting, police said. And he was arrested for carrying a loaded gun.

But when Holmes was released from prison last year, officials in this city offered something unusual to try to keep him alive: money. They began paying Holmes as much as $1,000 a month not to commit another gun crime.

Cities across the country, beginning with the District of Columbia, are moving to copy Richmond’s controversial approach because early indications show it has helped reduce homicide rates.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/cities-have-begun-to-challenge-a-bedrock-of-american-justice-theyre-paying-criminals-not-to-kill/2016/03/26/f25a6b9c-e9fc-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html

The fine line between genius and insanity...

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

1. It's cheaper than holding him in prison, I guess?

[FLPanhandle]

2. How many can get on that gravy train?

I'd like $1000 / month not to kill anyone too.

[ZombieHorde]

3. Seems like the program is saving lives, saving money, and hurting no one.

What's not to like?

[saturnsring]

4. what's not to like? really you dont see where this is headed?

[ZombieHorde]

5. Please explain to me where this is headed. nt

[saturnsring]

6. well no where of course what could possibly go wrong

[braddy]

8. In time they can unionize, and name themselves something catchy like, "the Mafia".

[angstlessk]

10. So you think someone is willing to kill someone, anyone just for the CHANCE to get

$1,000 per month, or life in prison? Talk about a gamble...remember the Alfred Hitchcock show with Steve McQueen?

Link not there, but comments are:

Who Needs This One When I've Got Nine More!
7/10
Author: dougdoepke from Claremont, USA
23 June 2007

This is the second entry featuring McQueen in the series. Both rely on superior scripts, probably an enticement for the then fast rising young actor. Also featured is McQueen's real life wife, Neile Adams, who quickly shows why she was a professional dancer and not a professional actress.

Anyway the two "meet cute" in an anonymous Las Vegas lounge when interrupted by the one-and-only Peter Lorre looking a bit like a human version of Pacman. Naturally, you suspect something weird from such a weird looking guy, and he doesn't disappoint. He proposes a cockamamie wager to McQueen: his convertible car for McQueen's little finger!-- (Thank you writer Roald Dahl for this one.) McQueen's intrigued; it's just strange enough to be interesting. Then too, maybe that will impress the shapely Miss Adams. The trick is for McQueen to light his cigarette lighter ten times without a miss, otherwise his fingers only count up to nine.

Thanks to the inbuilt suspense, we sweat a bucket-load, hanging with Steve as he flicks once, twice, three times, his other hand splayed across a table top with Lorre poised hatchet in hand. Frankly, in my view, the ending doesn't quite match the lead-up in pay-off. Still, the 30 minutes amounts to a fascinating premise with a lot of white-knuckle interest for fans beyond those of early McQueen.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Few to no policies will be perfect,

but if this program saves lives and money, then I like it.

[KamaAina]

7. Richmond is not really a "suburb"

Few of its residents commute to SF or Oakland. Most work at the gigantic Chevron refinery or other industrial establishments in town.

It is also the largest city in the U.S. with a Green mayor. A coalition of Greens and progressive Dems control the city council.

[bemildred]

9. One bilion dollars == one million months == around 80,000 perps per billion per year.

Dirt cheap.

[tularetom]

12. Why not? It worked for the Bush administration in Iraq

Remember the "surge"? The part of that that nobody ever talks about is the part where we bribed al Qaeda not to carry out any terrorist attacks.